Friday, August 1, 2008

Not Quite Ready for Primetime

So. I am currently in the process of making some new shirts and I realized that it has been a very long time since I have made anything that was complex, fitted, or special. In fact, I really need to work on my sewing skills. This was all brought home to me when I bought this:

Mrs. Stylebook is a Japanese pattern book where you have to draft your own patterns and then figure out how to put them together. I was completely overwhelmed by this last night. There is no way that I am ready to tackle this. However, I have decided to focus on improving my skills to the point where I could make anything in this magazine. I have loved sewing all of my life, and now that I am no longer in grad school, it is time to focus on what is truly important to me. I'm still gonna make those loose-fitting tops and dresses that I have been enjoying, but am going to try to intersperse learning projects in there as well.

Here is my plan of attack:

Read all of those sewing books I bought.

Go through all of my Threads magazines and pick at least one article in each one to create a learning project.

Make more fitted items.

Make more complicated items.

I am currently finishing all of the stuff that I have cut out and have ready to go. I think my first learning project will be a lined skirt. I have made lots of skirts, but I have never lined one, and I will probably want to work on getting the fit perfect.